Breadcrumb Trail Links

HMCS Protecteur Still Waiting For A Tow To Pearl Harbour

There is still no word when a ship will arrive to tow HMCS Protecteur. (Defence Watch will continue with updates as they come in).

The Royal Canadian Navy supply ship was 630 km northeast of Pearl Harbour with limited power after a fire in its engine room injured 20 on board and caused serious damage to its propulsion systems.

Distroscale

The ship was returning to its homeport of Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt, B.C., when a fire broke out Thursday night.

Commodore Bob Auchterlonie, Commander Canadian Fleet Pacific, called the fire a “serious event.”

“There was a significant fire and that crew battled that fire over a significant period of time, and they saved the ship,” Auchterlonie said Friday. “They saved the ship last night and they saved their shipmates.”

“We’ve seen incidents like this around the globe and they’ve ended much worse than this. The fact they got the fire under control, put it out, and secured the ship with only minor injuries on board is a testament to their training and professionalism.”

Story continues below

This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.

“This was a worst-case scenario, a major machinery space fire, hundreds of miles from anywhere, and this ship defended itself on its own.”

“Picture an elementary school gymnasium – three stories high, made of medal with a lot of machinery inside of that – and that space was on fire,” he said Friday at Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt.

Around 20 personnel received minor injuries.

“There was dehydration, there was exhaustion, there was smoke inhalation, and that’s what the nature of the injuries were,” Auchterlonie said. “Fortunately, we have a doctor on board, we have physician assistance on board, and we’re aware all these people have been treated.”

Story continues below

This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.

“At this point, it’s looking like she will be towed back to Hawaii, into Pearl Harbor,” Auchterlonie said. “At the same time, we’re looking at options with respect to ocean-going tugs that are available in Hawaii right now.”

It is not known when the ship will arrive in Pearl Harbour.

Navy officers say it’s too early to say what caused the fire.

When the fire was reported, the vessel was returning from operational duties in the mid-Pacific Ocean with 279 crew, 17 family members and two civilian contractors who joined the ship for the return transit. Having family members on board for the last part of a sail is a common practice with RCN ships returning from extended operations, the navy noted.

“The idea behind it is they’re seeing what life is like in a ship,” Auchterlonie said. “Last night, they experienced more life on a ship than they probably wanted to experience again.”

The U.S. Navy has sent the destroyer USS Michael Murphy and another ship to provide assistance to Protecteur.

It is the second incident involving the supply ship in the last year. In August, HMCS Protecteur was involved in a collision with HMCS Algonquin during towing exercises en route to Hawaii.